Focusing Forward: How to Traverse New Leadership While Emphasizing Continuity, by Jonathan H. Westover PhD

Abstract: This article provides best practices for navigating leadership transitions when new senior executives are hired, drawing on research regarding organizational change, leadership, and human psychology to understand common reactions to change and offer evidence-based strategies. It recommends proactively reducing uncertainty through over-communicating regularly with varied forums, tailoring updates for different stakeholder groups, highlighting complementary strengths rather than differences in strategy or priorities, and addressing core human needs for security and belonging. A case study demonstrates these concepts as a director successfully handled new C-suite hires by holding weekly Q&As, discussing concerns privately with the new CTO, leveraging advisory networks for intelligence on new leaders’ focus, reassuring teams existing work remained strategically important, and emphasizing synergies between current and new areas of focus. Key implications explain how framing changes as natural evolution rather than disruption builds buy-in, and that with clarity of purpose and commitment to organizational mission, leaders can guide teams productively through transitions by managing both information and the human side of change.